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Call to Artists: Outer Banks artists are invited to celebrate an historic anniversary

The Chicamacomico Historical Association (CHA) and Dare County Arts Council (DCAC) will co-host an art exhibit at the DCAC Gallery in Manteo in August 2018 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the famous 1918 Mirlo rescue. Outer Banks artists are encouraged to participate in this historic exhibit.

As part of its efforts to restore the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station, CHA has carefully replaced and preserved older cedar shakes from the station in recent years. Artists are now invited to use the shakes from the station and transform them into works of art.

"The idea is to make the shakes available to local artists who would paint them and donate their work as a fundraising project for DCAC and Chicamacomico Historical Association," said John Griffin, president of the historic site's board of directors.

The painted shakes will be part of a 100-piece art exhibit that will debut on First Friday Aug. 3, 2018. Additionally, DCAC and CHA will host a special reception for artists and buyers on the evening of Mon. Aug. 13 to celebrate the Mirlo anniversary.

Artists can pick up shakes to paint at either Dare County Arts Council in Manteo or the Chicamacomico Life Saving Station in Rodanthe. A temporary display featuring several completed shakes is currently on display through March at Dare County Arts Council. The display also includes two paintings by renown maritime artist Austin Dwyer, portraying Chicamacomico’s famous Mirlo Rescue of British Seamen torpedoed by a German UBoat on Aug. 16, 1918.

"When it was first brought to our attention, we jumped at the opportunity to work with the CHA on this project. It is such an elegant way of connecting today's Outer Banks artists with a tangible piece of our shared history," said DCAC Executive Director Chris Sawin.

The station is most famous for its highly honored rescue of the crew of the British tanker Mirlo, which was torpedoed in 1918 in nearby waters by a German submarine. The rescue is ranked among the U.S. Coast Guard's finest hours. The station was opened to the public in the late 1970s.

For more details or to find out how to acquire the shakes, contact the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station at (252) 987-1552 or Dare County Arts Council at (252) 473-5558.

For more information about the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station click here.